Fourteen Dances
by AreWeGonnaHaveAProblem
Summary: In a world where Ganon was defeated as soon as he appeared, the King is planning a ball and the princess's appointed knight is terrified of dancing. So, the princess has taken it upon herself to train him. Fluffy fluff. Part 1 of the "What If?" series.
1. We did it

**AN:**

 **Okay, another one. Basically, I haven't seen any fanfiction exploring what may have happened had Link not died and they defeated Gannon when he first arrived. So, that's what I'm going to do. I might do another one of these going more in-depth with future Hyrule had Ganon been defeated when he was supposed to be, but I just want to write some dance fluff right now. I do not own _The Legend of Zeda_ , or Zelink would be cannon. This one is told from Zelda's point of view. **

**IMPORTANT NOTE TO READ BEFORE YOU READ THE STORY**

 **I AM STILL HAVING THE PRAYER FAIL ZELDA, WHAT UNLOCKS HER POWER IS STILL SAVING LINK, JUST HE DOES NOT DIE, AND IT HAPPENS IN CASTLE TOWN INSTEAD. HER LOVE FOR HIM IS STILL WHAT UNLOCKS HER POWER, ALSO NO ONE ELSE DIES!**

It's over, he's gone. Calamity Gannon is gone, Beast Gannon is gone, it's all gone. I look over at my knight, burned and battered, but still strong. "Is it over?"

"I hope so." He pants. His part in this is much harder than mine.

"We should get back to the castle, before you give out." I look, hoping to see a horse or something that could help us.

"I'll be fine, I'm tough." He promises.

"You're still not immortal, Link."

"No, but I am stubborn."

"That you are." I agree. And I am so grateful that he is. We make our way back to the castle, my appointed knight leaning heavily on me, and are met about 2/3 of the way by several guards and my father.

"Zelda!" He calls, rushing over to us.

"Father." I reply.

"You're alive." He places a hand on each of my cheeks and I see tears leaking from his eyes. "You did it."

"Yes, we did." I reply.

"Sir Link! What happened to your arm?" A voice behind my father asks. The King steps aside and I see that it is General Dalt, leader of the Hyrule Army.

"Guardian." My knight replies.

"How did you survive that?" One of the other guards asks, flabbergasted.

"I just beat Calamity Gannon and that Beast thing, and you wonder how I survived a simple Guardian blast?" Link raises his eyebrows. It's odd to see my knight speaking so…sarcastically.

"Sorry, sir." The man bows his head and steps back.

"We must get you to a healer." My father states.

"I will call the Champions to the castle, Lady Mipha should be able to heal him rather quickly." She has every time before.

"Still, need to make sure that he doesn't bleed out before she can get here." My father nods. "Guards, take Sir Link to the castle, quickly. I need to speak with my daughter…alone."

"But sir, the danger-" General Dalt begins.

"Any danger that may try to harm us, my daughter can quite obviously face herself." The other men leave us alone in the middle of Hyrule field, it seems the civilians have not been told that it is safe to come out yet. "My dear Zelda, you and Link saved us all. You just needed to pray at the Spring of Wisdom. That seems appropriate for you."

"Actually, it did not."

"What?" Father takes a step back. "Then what did it? What unlocked your power?"

"I am not sure the reason that this came to be, but…Link was protecting me from a swarm of Guardians. He took most of them down, but one caught him by surprise, the one that burned his arm. He was knocked over by the force and…and the Guardian was getting ready to shoot again. I panicked and jumped between them, and the next thing I knew there was this blinding light around me and then it died down and the Guardian was destroyed."

My father remains silent for a long time after this. "You care very much for your knight."

"Of course I do, he's saved my life several times, helped me with my…with my research, he's become a good friend." I hesitate to admit he helped me with my research, since my father banned me from conducting it.

"A friend you were willing to die for."

"Yes." I agree, oh father, please don't make any assumptions. "At that point, I had no use in fighting Calamity Ganon. He could still go defeat him, even without me. I was only holding him-"

"You need not make excuses to me, Zelda. Despite what you may believe, I am not blind." He breaks eye contact with me and looks around the field, which somehow looks barely damaged despite the giant fire boar which stood in it. "It seems that the Goddesses have graced us. Come, we have a lot of work to do."

We walk for some time before either of us say anything again. "I am proud of you, my dear. I know that I have not been a good father as of late, but I could not be more proud of you."

"Clearly your worry had reason. The Calamity struck at a time when I was not ready, a place we were not prepared for. We were so focused on defending the castle from the outside world, that we were not prepared for an assault from the inside."

"No, we were not. I cannot believe that his chamber was beneath our castle without us knowing. Oh, the damages to the castle are so immense, it is going to take quite some time to repair it all." I had not payed attention to the damages that much when we were in the castle, Link and I had one focus, Gannon.

When we finally make it to the castle, my father adds, "Oh, and happy birthday."

-oOo-

Late that night, the Champions, my father, and myself all gathered for a meal. Mipha had successfully healed Link's wounds, as well as any the rest of us had. We are all so at ease. The Champions told us stories about Gannon Blights which infected the Divine Beasts: wind for Revali, thunder for Urbosa, fire for Daruk, and water for Mipha.

"We are sorry that we were not of more use to you, Zelda and Link." Urbosa smiles sadly. "In fact, you were probably of more use to us. The moment you sealed Ganon away, my blight vanished."

"Mine did as well." Mipha admits.

"Same here." Daruk agrees.

"As painful as it is to admit it, I do not believe that I would have been able to defeat that thing had it not been for the two of you." Revali sighs.

"It does not matter now." Father insists. "Ganon is gone, and you are all safe. Hyrule is once again safe."

"A toast to that." Urbosa raises her glass and we all follow suit.

"And a toast to the Princess's birthday." Daruk raises his enormous goblet once again.

"And to many more." Revali adds.

"Thank you." I grin sadly.

"Speaking of, I propose we have a celebration, to celebrate Zelda's birthday as well as the defeat of Calamity Gannon." Father suggests. "It will be a little late, and thank the Goddesses that somehow restored the castle, but we must have time to plan."

"That sounds like an excellent idea, your Grace." Urbosa smiles.

"Of course members of each race shall be invited, your families and friends. It will be a day to celebrate you all." Father adds.

"I fear it would be quite impossible for my father to fit in here. It is difficult for him to fit anywhere outside of his throne room." Mipha says.

"Yes, he has lamented this to me several times now. I fear that we cannot accommodate his size without rebuilding the entire castle, and holding it outside would not work."

"How about, we just go visit with your father instead." I suggest.

"I am sure he will be thrilled by that." Mipha smiles.

"But you should still bring your brother to the ball." Her little brother, Sidon, is so cute and happy. He's still very young for a Zora, and only goes up to about my waist.

"He would never forgive me if I did not."

"When do you believe we will be having this ball?" Daruk asks.

"Probably two weeks from Saturday, it is not much time, but we should be able to do it." Father thinks.

"Well, it is getting late, and it looks like the hero might fall asleep in his food if he stays here much longer." Urbosa laughs. She's right, Link's eyes are half-closed and he's somehow even quieter than usual.

"Then let us all go to bed, you all deserve as much sleep as you can get." Father rises.

 **AN:**

 **I wanted the ball to be soon, and didn't want to write about reconstruction stuff, so I just had the goddesses fix it. It's easier this way.**


	2. The Garnell

**AN:**

 **And I'm back. I hope I'll have enough dances to cover 14 days. I still don't own _The Legend of Zelda_ , I wish I did, but no I am a lowly college student.**

A lot happened the next day. Public statements were made, the Champions and I each had to make public appearances to assure the people that we were in fact alive, we each had fittings for new clothes for the ball, we had to sit down with the court historian so that she could transcribe the day for future generations, and so much more. It was only after dinner, which my father could not make it to due to political stuff, that I got a moment's rest.

However, through it all, my loyal knight sat next to me. Well, during my fitting he sat outside, but through the rest he was right next to me. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." He lies. "Mipha healed everything."

"I know physically you're fine, but you look like you didn't get any sleep last night."

"Neither do you." He shoots back. "Sorry."

"Nightmares?" He nods. "Me, too."

"What are yours about? If that isn't too-"

"No, it isn't. I just kept reliving when my powers unlocked, except I don't save you. You're too badly injured and die…you die in my arms and I can't save you." I break eye contact with him. "I kept considering sneaking into your room just to make sure that you were alive." We stay silent for a few moments before I ask, "What about you?"

To my amazement, he responds. "A lot of things. I see your powers failing you and that Guardian blasting you to nothing. I see my death, leaving you all alone to fight this battle. I see the champions all dying in their Divine Beasts." Neither of us say anything after that for what feels like hours.

"How about we take a walk, it has been a long time since I have been able to stroll in the gardens."

"As you wish." No, no, not back to this.

"We don't have to if you don't want to." I assure him.

"No, it'll be nice." He replies. We walk in a comfortable silence for several minutes, until I decide to take a seat on the bench by the pond and invite him to sit next to me. "Princess…"

"Yes, Link?" I turn to face him.

"I'm not going to have to dance at this ball, am I?" To his complete and utter horror, I start laughing. "What?"

"You look so afraid… The hero of Hyrule, the man who slayed Calamity Ganon, is afraid of dancing!" I laugh.

"It's not funny!" Apparently, it is, because he starts laughing, too. "Please, just answer."

"Yes, you are more than likely going to have to dance. Wait, haven't you been to balls before?" I distinctly remember him attending my 16th birthday party, he had drawn the sword maybe a month before, he was not yet my appointed knight, but he was still honored.

"I didn't dance. I just stood to the side, out of the way."

"I can teach you, if you would like." I offer.

"Do I really have to?" He looks uneasy.

"Is the idea of dancing with me that bad?" I joke.

"No, no…I just don't want to make a fool of myself." He concedes.

"You won't make a fool of yourself. You became the most skilled swordsman in all of Hyrule in two months of training. You're a fast learner." I try to be supportive.

"To be fair, my predecessors were all skilled swordsmen, I don't think any of them were known for their dancing abilities."

"Alright, if you're going to be stubborn, I'll get Urbosa to teach you." I threaten. As much as I love Urbosa, her teaching method is very tough love.

"Please don't."

"Then cooperate." I stand up and stretch out my hand?

"What? Now?" His eyes get larger.

"Yes now, we have barely two weeks for you to learn the court dances."

"We don't have music." He stalls.

"You don't start off learning with the music. You work your way to that." I roll my eyes and pull him up. "First, we'll start with the simplest dance. It's called a garnell. The beats are in sets of three's. I'll count for us for now." I take a step closer to him, and he instinctively steps back. "Well, that's one step. Here, you place your right hand here near my shoulder blade, I place my left hand on your bicep or my skirt, and you hold my right hand in your left."

I help him place his right hand and take a step closer to him. I see him gulp slightly. "If you're worried about my father, teaching you to dance is a fine reason for you to be this close to me."

"That's not it…"

"Then what is?"

"Never mind."

"Alright, first, we will do the box step. Step forwards with your left foot and I will step back with my right." We do. "Now side with your right and close. Good. That was a count of three. Now, let us try again, with me counting."

He nods and slightly alters his right hand. "Alright."

"Let me count of first, so you know the rhythm. One. Two. Three. And. One. Two. Three." I nod. "Now, we do the opposite, I start stepping forwards, and you step back. Right back, left side, and close."

-oOo-

By the end of the night he was leading. Despite it all, he seems a natural, just like in everything else he does. "You're doing well. I have danced with people who have trained for years who still managed to step on my feet."

"Thank you, your highness." I cringe slightly at the title.

"How about, each night until the ball, we practice. We'll run through the dance we did the night before and then I teach you a new one. That way, you should know almost all of them by that night." I suggest.

"That would be very useful, your grace." He agrees.

"I will see about music, perhaps there is a way to record it on the Sheikah Slate, like the pictures, just sounds instead of images." I'm sure we could do it.

"Thank you for doing this."

"It is no problem. It's going to be fun." I smile. "I haven't danced in a while."

 **AN:**

 **Yeah, the "garnell" is basically a waltz, but I'm going to have to make up some more so might as well now. So, I danced growing up, it wasn't ballroom dancing, but I love to dance and have since learned the minuet in Salzburg, Austria on a school trip. My poor partner had no clue what he was doing, but I still had fun.**


	3. The Sarna

**AN:**

 **Yay! Another one! Link learns to dance! I'm still a poor college student so I still am not Nintendo! Sorry it's a little short.**

We have fourteen days until the ball. The castle staff is in full swing, preparing to host a party like Hyrule has never seen. It really isn't helping Link's self-esteem.

"I convinced Purah to figure out how to store music on the Sheikah Slate. We don't have much right now, but we have a garnell."

I press a button on the Sheikah Slate and place my hands properly. The music starts, and I start off the count. We turn and step around the tree, he spins me and leads me with more confidence with each step. But we're getting to the lift, which he was nervous about yesterday.

 _"What if I drop you?" He panics._

 _"I've witnessed you carry one of the small guardians around for half an hour, you aren't going to drop me!"_

 _"It didn't matter if I dropped the guardian! I'll be executed if I hurt you!"_

 _"You aren't going to hurt me." I continue to insist._

"Ready?" I ask.

"I guess." He hoists me up into the air and he carefully places me back down.

"Good." We continue our dance until the end. We bow and he kisses my knuckles. "Very good, see I told you that you would learn quickly."

"You have taught me one dance, which you described as simple. I would not consider myself a good dancer."

"Not yet! You will be!"

"Sure."

"How about this? My father informed me today that he wants us to open the ball. That means that we're going to have to dance alone in front of the entire court, the champions, and foreign dignitaries!"

"Okay, I'm going to be a good dancer."

"Yes, you are." I smile. "Now, for the Sarna."

I walk him back towards the center of the garden. "In this one, we stand about an arm's length apart at the beginning. Now, you bow." He does. "And I curtsey. Now take my left hand in your right."

-oOo-

After I teach him the steps and we practice a few times, I feel confident enough to start conversing with him as we dance. "How are you doing?"

"I am alright, your grace. And how are you?"

"I must admit that I have been better."

"What is the matter?" We turn and face each other once again.

"I have not been sleeping well, nightmares are awful."

"I'm there, if you need me." He murmurs.

"Thank you." I smile slightly. "If you need anything, I am here."

"Thank you, your grace."

"I must admit to you that my father informed me of something else today regarding the ball."

"And what is that?" He turns me under his arm.

"My father also wishes to promote you to nobility. He wishes for the Hero of Hyrule to be honored as much as possible."

"Nobility?"

"Yes, a marquess, if you accept that is."

"I am honored."

"Will you accept?" I ask, we touch our wrists together between us, slightly higher than my head.

"How could I refuse?" He doesn't look as excited as he should.

"This will open many more doors for you and your family. You will have an estate, be able to interact with the court as their equal. You will be able to wed any member of the court if you so wish. Your descendants will carry on your title and-"

"What will I do?"

"What will you do?"

"If I accept and become a marquess, what will I be doing with my life?"

"You are given a choice. Since your parents are still alive, they can run the estate for you or you could do it yourself. You can receive a proper education. You can become a member of the council."

"I won't be your appointed knight anymore." He states.

"No, you will not. You will be free of your obligations to me." We remain silent and continue dancing. Eventually I add, in a far from confident tone, "Even if my father was not planning this, I was going to relieve you of your duties as soon as the ball was over."

"Why?"

"You do not deserve to be hindered by me any longer. You deserve to be able to do what you want, whenever you want, not be dragged around by me every day."

"I don't view you as a hindrance."


	4. The Nyma

**AN:**

 **So, another chapter has arrived! Still not Nintendo!**

After I informed him of his probable rise to nobility, Link has been much more…aloof than normal. Yes, he generally is very quiet unless we are alone, but he doesn't seem to want to meet my eye. We aren't alone until that night, back in the garden. "Is something wrong?"

"No, your highness, why would anything be wrong?"

"You are acting strangely. Like something is bothering you."

"It is nothing to concern yourself with."

"Are you going to accept?"

"It does not seem like I have much of a choice in the matter. No sane person would refuse?"

"You threw yourself into battle against three SILVER Lynels and a horde of Bokoblins. I am uncertain as to whether you qualify as sane." This coerces a small smile from him. "You don't have to if you don't want to. If being a knight is what you are called to do forever, then we can promote you in the military and honor you there."

"If I accept the title of marquess, will there be a way to still spend time with you, like I do now?" Yes, but I fear you will not like the answer. Mipha certainly won't.

"You wish to still be around me?"

"Yes, even…even disregarding my oath, I want to make sure that you are safe. I want to protect you. I don't know what it is, just a large part of me wants to."

"Quite obviously the feeling is mutual." I look down at my hand, where the symbol of the triforce still glows strongly.

"So, is there? Is it allowed?"

"Were you a regular marquess, the only way for you to spend any amount of time with me would be for you to court me, and even then we would have to have a chaperone."

"But I am not a regular marquess."

"I don't know, I am sure that an exception could be made, but the court would go insane with the idea of us spending any time together and _not_ courting. They would believe it a scandal." We remain silent for a long time, contemplating…something. My mind betrays me and thinks of courting him, about marrying him. No, no, he seems reluctant to accept the position and it is not allowed for him to court me without a noble title.

"We should probably start." He says eventually.

"You're right. You still have about a week to make your decision." I stand and he follows. "You will have my support either way."

"Really?"

"You are my friend, Link. I want you to be happy."

-oOo-

I teach him the nyma. He struggles more with this one than he has the others. "No, it's step left forward, right back, left side, together. I know it's fast, but-"

"It's fine. I'll get it. I just need to practice more."

"You know, after the first dance, you aren't really going to be expected to dance anymore. The garnell is always what opens the ball, and you know that rather well. I don't have to keep teaching you."

"No, I want to learn."

"Why?" I subconsciously cock my head to the side. "You were so reluctant the first time. Now, merely two days later you want to continue without having to?"

"I don't know."

"Are you possibly having fun?" I smirk.

"Possibly." We've started dancing again by now, he spins me around, before catching my waist at the end.

"We'll have to be quiet about this. You don't want to lose the respect of your fellow knights."

"I get to dance with the princess every night, I doubt that I will lose anything."

"Do you believe that you will gain enviers?"

"Oh, I am quite sure."

"I probably should say 'gain _more_ enviers'." I note.

"Says the future monarch." We turn and bow.

"Good, you're doing good." I smile.

-oOo-

After he masters the dance he walks me back to my room. For the time being he is still in charge of my protection. "You've learned quickly. I am proud of you."

"Thank you, your highness." He smiles slightly.

"Do you think that you will be ready for the ball?" We're outside of my room now.

"I hope so."

"I think you will be."

"What's on the agenda tomorrow?" He leans slightly against the wall.

"Fittings, oh, we have a portrait sitting with all of the Champions."

"That's exciting." Sarcasm isn't a common occurrence with my knight.

"It isn't that bad." I assure him.

"How long will it be?"

"A couple of hours."

"Is there anything else?"

"I have to meet with my father. You don't need to be present for that, in fact I am quite sure that you will be sent away." I yawn slightly.

"You need to sleep." He starts to back up.

"No, I'm fine."

"No, you're not." He shakes his head. "When was the last time you got eight hours of sleep in one night?" I don't know. "See, you need to sleep."

"Going to sleep earlier isn't going to help."

"I'm still here, if you need me. I'm just down the hall." I don't really think, I just wrap my arms around him and hug him. He freezes.

"Thank you."

He slowly unfreezes and begins to hold me. "You're welcome."

We stand like that for a while, not speaking, just being.

 **AN:**

 **See y'all later!**


	5. The Arkine Garnell

**AN:**

 **Hello lovelies. So, I'm making a Zelda BOTW cosplay and it's killing me. I haven't even gotten to the sheikah slate and boots yet. No, still am not Nintendo.**

I must admit that my sealing power is one thing that I will never understand. It stayed with me, after we destroyed Ganon. I still have magic, what I am supposed to use it for, I have no clue, but I have it however faintly. When I can't bring myself to sleep I sit on my bed and practice. The past few nights I have only been able to get a few sparks in my palm. But last night, I was able to form the shape of the triforce. I could not hold it for long, but it clearly was the triforce.

And now, while I am waiting on Link to finish his meeting with my father (which I was not invited to) I am trying to do it again. I focus…nothing. I stare at my palm and attempt to will my magic into action. Still nothing. I try for several minutes with nothing.

Then, suddenly, the sacred triangles appear stronger than before, and stay there. A gold fog shimmers around them. I'm holding it. It's staying. I turn to go show my father, but end up running right into my knight. Either I was more excited than I believed, or he was just exceptionally unprepared because I somehow manage to knock him over and we both fall to the ground. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, sorry." I quickly get off of him.

"It's fine. I was going to say something, but I didn't want to break your concentration."

"Wait, you've been out here?" I didn't hear the door.

"Yes, I walked out and the triforce appeared." He helps me up.

"Perfect timing."

"Zelda!" Father calls.

"My turn. I'll be back." I turn and walk into my father's study.

"I'll be here." Link says behind me.

"What was that crash I heard?" Father asks.

"I accidentally ran into Sir Link."

"What? How did you run into him that hard?" I explain to him what happened and he begins laughing. "You managed to knock over the greatest knight in Hyrule."

"That I did." I begin giggling. It's been so long since my father has truly laughed, it's infectious.

"Well, I do have a few things which I need to speak with you about." He coughs in an attempt to stint his laughter.

-oOo-

The meeting was exceptionally boring. As was the portrait sitting which happened after. No matter how much Urbosa and Daruk tried to make it enjoyable, there are some things which are doomed to be dull. The painter took an hour just positioning us. He couldn't decide what order to put the champions in. The height differences made things difficult. Also, Daruk takes up a lot of room. The poor man could not get anything as symmetrical as he wished.

The only ones who could not be moved were Link and myself. I sat in a chair in the middle and he stood behind me. They had built these stair-like platforms for the champions to stand on. They start out low in the front on each side of me and get taller and meet in the middle, where Link stood. Eventually, Revali ended up on my left, Mipha on my right. Daruk was behind Mipha, and Urbosa was behind Revali.

Now Link and I are dancing around the garden. We spin and dip and turn in perfect time. He really is a natural. "Well, despite your struggles, you have the nyma down pact."

"Thanks to you, your highness." He bows.

"I cannot take credit for your ability to learn so quickly."

"What's next?" He asks.

"Another version of the garnell. A more complicated, formal version. If you are able to master it, then this is what we will open the ball with." I step closer to him, and he instinctively places his hands for the garnell. "It is called the arkine garnell. The steps are all basically the same, it's just the combination that is different."

"Okay." He nods. I take him through the motions, run bits and pieces at a time before we perform the entire dance.

-oOo-

Later, much later, around three am. I am sitting on my bed, twisting and turning my magic around my hands. I create swirls in the gold dust and patterns and bursts of light when I suddenly hear a thunk outside my door. The magic in my hands vanishes as I jump. "Hello?"

I grab my robe and cover myself. "Is someone there?"

"Princess?" Thank Hylia. I open the door to find Link standing on the other side. "Why are you awake?"

"I couldn't sleep." I shrug. "What are you doing here?"

"I still make rounds during the night. I couldn't really sleep either, and my room was too confining."

"Have you been just outside my door for a while?"

"Around fifteen minutes probably."

"That's it!"

"That's what?"

"I think I know why my powers only work sometimes." I scramble to get some paper to write my new discovery down. He lingers in my doorway. "Oh, come in, and shut the door. I don't want to wake anyone else up."

"So, you think you've figured out how to get your magic to work?"

"Yes. So, you make a couple of rounds each night?"

"Yes."

"Well, the past few nights, when I could not sleep, I practiced and was sometimes able to get a few sparks. Last night I was able to form the triforce briefly. Today when I was waiting to meet I couldn't get anything to happen until you showed up. I think that you're the key." I scribble down notes. "After all, you are what unlocked them in the first place. I guess in order for them to work I have to have you with me."

"Alright, so now what?" He asks.

"I have no clue. It is three am and I just used up all of my thinking capabilities." He chuckles lightly, more like breathing.

"Well, your highness, you should probably go back to sleep in that case."

"I probably should. We'll discuss this more tomorrow."

"Of course."

 **AN:**

 **BYE!**


	6. Research

**AN:**

 **Hey babes! I'm planning on skipping a few days cause that's boring. I just want to talk about the ball and move on with this story because I want to write a sequel and actually explore what might have happened and write a bit more than dance fluff.**

I tell my father of my early morning discovery. Though he was annoyed with the idea of a young man being in my room so late at night and when I was not dressed properly, he smiled warmly when I explained how I believed my powers work. "How appropriate."

"I'm sorry?"

"Nothing. It does make sense, you two are connected in spirit and prophecy. It's only logical that your magic would be strongest when you are with him." We discuss this for a while longer, debating why I still have the magic. "Is he outside?"

"I believe so." I walk over to the door of father's study and look out to see Urbosa discussing something with Link. I cough and give them and look sadly at them. "Sorry, my father has requested your presence."

We both bid farewell to Urbosa and he follows me into the study. "Ah, Sir Link. Have you made your decision?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"And?"

"I accept."

"Good." Father smiles. "I am glad that you're willing."

"I would be a fool not to be."

"I would not say that." Father considers. "Being nobility is a pain."

"From my point of view, it looks like heaven."

"I guess it would. How about you two go test out the magic some more."

-oOo-

"Okay," Purah says. "Princess? You got it?"

"Yes." I'm staring intently at my hand, where the triforce is glowing strongly and the golden mist snakes its way up my arm.

"Link, start walking along the line. I'll yell when you need to stop." He does as he's told and walks along the insanely long tape measure Purah placed on the ground. Eventually, my magic disappears. "STOP! READ OFF THE MEASUREMENT AT YOUR FEET!"

"Twenty-eight!"

"Okay." She writes it down. "Princess, start concentrating again."

"Okay." I start focusing on my palm.

"LINK! START WALKING FORWARD!" Soon a few sparks form. "STOP! Read the measurement."

"Twenty-five!"

"Start walking again." The triforce forms. "STOP!"

"Seventeen."

"Go." Gold dust starts forming again. "Stop."

"Twelve."

"Go." Nowhere to go from here, but science. "Okay, so we have a general idea of the range, but that does not include things like walls and other obstacles. Um…what happens if you touch?"

I reach for Link's hand and we instinctively intersect our fingers. I watch my palm and instantly the magic surrounds us.

"Incredible."

I look around, this hasn't happened before. It isn't as solid as when we fought Ganon. It's like a large, golden sphere surrounded us.

"How are you feeling?" Link asks.

"I feel fine. I don't really feel anything." I drop my hand to my side, just concentrating on keeping the magic.

"It looks like just some sort of shield. I guess if someone were to attack you this would protect you."

"Wow." It takes all I've got to not break my concentration. Purah has the Sheikah Slate and begins taking pictures of everything.

"Okay, now release." I drop his hand and am able to maintain the sphere. "How is this accomplished? If physical contact is what prompts it, then why do you not have to maintain the contact?"

"If this is meant to be protection, then I need to be able to fight. Holding hands keeps me from doing so."

"You're right.

 **AN:**

 **So, I'm posting two chapters at once because this one was short. Please note that the next chapter is taking place two days before the ball. I'm a little bored and am working on a sequal.**


	7. The Elska

**AN:**

 **Hello, I don't really have anything to say. Still a poor college student and not one of the most successful videogame companies ever.**

Today was a day of freedom. One I would normally use for research, but instead I spent it with Urbosa. Link was given the day off and is spending time with his family in Castletown.

"So, how is that crush of yours going?" Urbosa asks as she puts my hair in some traditional Gerudo fashion.

"What?" I ask, baffled. The older woman throws her head back and laughs.

"It's a lot more obvious than you think. You aren't very good at hiding anything from me." That's true, Urbosa has been like an older sister to me for years. One would call her maternal, but she insists that she is much too young for that.

"I'm not hiding anything." I straighten my back.

"How about those late-night dance lessons with your appointed knight?" She flicks an eyebrow up at me in the mirror.

"We are not hiding. We are in the garden, where anyone could come across us." I insist.

"Does your father know?"

"Not that I am aware of."

"Then I would say that you certainly are trying to hide it at least a little." She begins to braid sections of my hair. "So, how are those secret lessons going?"

"He is a fast learner. He's doing very well." Wait. "How did you find out about them?"

"I went looking for you maybe four days after _it_ happened. I was told that you had been seen going to the gardens. I went and there you two lovebirds were, dancing without any care for the outside world. I asked a guard and was told that you two had been going on 'walks' there every night."

"Four days after, that was the arkine garnell."

"Oh, you two were doing so well. So connected in both mind and-"

"That is enough." I order. Urbosa just laughs.

"Have you two made it official yet?"

"Made what official?" I attempt to act naïve.

"Is your appointed knight officially courting you?" She rolls her eyes.

"No."

"No?!" She begins to twist some of the braids. "Why not?"

"We are not romantically involved."

"You want to be." I don't reply. "You are not denying it."

"Nor am I confirming it."

"I believe that by not denying it you are confirming it." She smiles. "Oh, what a story for the ages! The young princess and her knight tied together in spirit and heart."

I remain silent, anything I add she will just use against me.

"If you are afraid of rejection, afraid that he is in love with Mipha, afraid that he doesn't want you, I understand." She turns serious. "I was the same way when I began to fall for Sauron. I was so afraid of what it would mean to allow myself to be so weak to another person. I was afraid of being so at their mercy and him using it against me. But, eventually I realized something. I realized that he was probably just as afraid as me."

"You're over six feet tall and could crush him like a bug." I remind her. "You scare most people."

"And the future queen of Hyrule doesn't?" She raises an eyebrow. "Have you considered that your knight is terrified of your rejection? That he feels unworthy to be with you due to his common birth?"

"At the ball, he will be given the title-"

"That does not change the fact that he might be terrified of the court rejecting him. Not just as a marquess, but perhaps the prince consort. Old nobility is a fickle thing." We remain silent for a while as she continues to pin my hair. "You do not have to take my advice. I am of a race of vai, voe are somewhat unknown to us." They have a long-standing tradition of voe-and-you classes. "But, if I were you, I would take advantage of what I have. I would make some sort of move now, while you still have him with you."

"What do you suggest I do?" I finally admit defeat.

"Do you have a dance for tonight?"

"No, not really. I was planning on just kind of reviewing and going to bed." I shrug. We have two more nights, I don't want to shove another one on him right at the end.

"Teach him the elska."

Oh no.

-oOo-

Urbosa decided that it may be less awkward if she technically "taught" us the elska, given what it is. She decided that if I had to explain it, I may chicken out. "Evening hero."

"Good evening, Lady Urbosa." I haven't told him.

"The princess has requested that I teach you this dance tonight. She's too embarrassed."

"You're the one who-" I start to protest.

"Is saving you the trouble of explaining it." She changes my sentence. "I'm going to be explaining the elska to you, the princess will show you."

"The elska?" Link asks, a glint of familiarity in his eye.

"A dance traditionally performed at weddings by the bride and the groom. You aren't going to need it at the ball, but you will need it eventually." Well, he will if you have anything to say about it. "Now, you start facing each other."

We follow her directions and eventually end up with our chests touching. This only occurred because Urbosa decided to push us closer together. "This dance is about the connection between the couple, a linkage of hearts and souls depicted through dance. You have to be close."

She walks us through the steps and eventually we are dancing small sections at a time fluently. "You two are wonderful. I think we may be able to try connecting the pieces now." It takes us half an hour before we can perform the entire dance in one go, though it is far from perfect. "Let's try with the music."

"It's all labelled in the sound file." I tell her.

"Here it is." She presses the screen and the soft music starts to play. You're supposed to not break eye contact with your partner, but I see Urbosa slip away not long after the music starts.

"Where did she go?"

"Who knows." I shake my head.

"Princess…" He starts. I look back at him and it suddenly becomes very apparent how close we are. We're the same height, so our faces are mere inches away from each other.

"Yes, Link?" He doesn't reply, just keeps dancing. I feel like my heart is going to beat out of my chest. I know the full story behind the elska, which I will not be relaying to him. "How was your family?"

"They were fine, excited about the ball." They're staying at the castle right now, as are all of the other special guests.

"I hope that they are enjoying their stay here."

"They are, your highness, you need not worry."

"They gave us the greatest gift we could ask for, I do believe that I have some right to worry about not being able to repay them."

"Gift?" His voice is laced with confusion as he dips me.

"They gave us you, did they not?" We both turn red as soon as the words leave my mouth. I should not have said that. What was I thinking? Holy-

"Thank you." He sounds hesitant, like he isn't sure how to reply to that. Honestly, I have no better suggestion. "Though I do feel as though you are exaggerating."

"You defeated the Calamity, had you not who knows what could have happened to Hyrule. You defeated Ganon and helped awaken my powers to seal him away. I am uncertain that there could be anyone better."

We remain silent after that, still so close that if one of us flinched our lips would touch. "Princess?"

"Yes?"

"What do you think that you're going to do now?"

"I don't really know. I guess that I will continue my research, but…I guess I probably should learn how to be Queen. I never really learned how to rule. My whole life was supposed to be dedicated to prayer."

"I think that you'll be a good queen."

"Thank you. I believe that you shall make a wonderful marquess."

 **AN:**

 **Well, shippers, sorry. I can't have them getting together just yet.**

 **So, maybe one person will know this, but "elska" is Icelandic for "love". I google "love in different languages" and liked this one. If you speak Icelandic, and I am wrong I apologize. The only things I have ever learned about Iceland are from Wishbone's** ** _Journey to the Center of the Earth_** **. Also, the actual book. But I really like Wishbone.**


	8. Review

**AN:**

 **I am back! I am still not Nintendo!**

Tomorrow is the night of the ball, so everyone is running around with last minute arrangements, and I don't even see Link until dinner.

"Well, tonight we will just review everything for tomorrow, especially the arkine garnell."

"Alright." He nods.

He performs each almost perfectly. Only slight missteps occur.

"Zelda?" I look up to his eyes. They really are beautiful eyes. So deep and blue. But something seems off about them.

"Yes?"

"The elska isn't a dance performed at any regular wedding, is it?" I freeze for a second, but keep dancing.

"No."

"It's a dance that is going to be performed at your wedding?" How did he find out?

"Yes."

"And no wedding which is not royal has the elska?" Shit. I have so much explaining to do. How am I going to justify this? How am I going to explain this while keeping our friendship intact? The answer is, I'm not. But I can't lie to him.

"No, they do not."

"Why did Urbosa say that I was going to need it?" We stop dancing, though our hands stay in place.

"She's Urbosa. She makes assumptions and…she has made up her mind to something and is going to do everything in her power to see it through."

"Is there a basis for her assumptions?" He's moved closer to me. Just as close as we were last night, though the nyma does not require it. My breathing quickens.

"Perhaps." He breaks eye contact with me for a second. "Is there any basis from you?"

"Perhaps." We start moving closer than before. I don't know if we started off farther apart than I believed or if we're moving exceptionally slow, but it takes much longer than it should for our lips to touch.

Then I wake up.

"Shit." Of course. The first dream I have that isn't a nightmare since the Calamity and it's that. That is not what happened last night in the slightest. What did happen was we reviewed the dances and he walked me to my room, which he does every night!

Why? Why must my brain do this to me? I'm barely an adult. I don't know what I'm talking about. In the realm of…love…I am naïve. I haven't had time to think about such things. I have had crushes before, the princes of neighboring kingdoms have always made a point to flirt with me, but never have they been so intense. Never have I had to reconsider a friendship.

 **AN:**

 **A new chapter will be up tomorrow. It's time for the ball bitches! Honestly this T rating is just cause I like swearing.**


	9. The Ball

**AN:**

 **Well, the final chapter has arrived. I am writing a sequel which should be up in a few days. I already have a majority of it written. I am still not the owner of** ** _The Legend of Zelda_** **.**

The night of the ball has arrived. My new dress is complete, and it takes four handmaidens, Urbosa, and two hours to get me ready. I meet with my champions behind the sanctum, where we wait for my father's announcement of us. They are each wearing clothes similar to their Champions clothing, just with gold embroidery instead of white.

"Look at you." Urbosa straightens my tiara. "You look grown up."

"I am technically an adult now." I remind her. Her eyes tear up slightly. She's watched over me ever since my mother died, my adulthood is as jarring to her as it will be when her daughter grows up.

"I know, but you're still so young. I am so proud of you, little vai." She lightly touches my cheek. "And of you." She turns to my appointed knight.

"Yeah, little guy, we all are." Daruk clomps the young Hylian on the shoulder. If he were not so used to it, I am sure that Link would be on the floor. Daruk never has learned to temper his strength.

"Yes, you both did very well defeating Ganon." Mipha softly agrees. Revali remains silent. Trumpets blare, and father's voice booms through the castle.

"Friends! Family! Allies! I am honored to welcome you all here tonight to celebrate my daughter's birthday as well as the defeat of Calamity Ganon!" A thunderous applause follows. "Now, I would like to present to you, Hyrule's champions."

We all line up, with Link and I at the end of the line, since he will be escorting me.

"Please welcome, Master Revali of the Rito." Revali enters to massive applause. Just what he needed, more of an ego boost.

"Lady Mipha, princess of the Zora." I clearly hear her little brother in the crowd.

"Master Daruk of the Gorons."

"Lady Urbosa of the Gerudo." The cry of the Gerudo present sounds high, but the sound of men looking at her almost overpowers it. I take a few deep breaths, this is going to be a lot of people. My right arm is tucked inside of Link's left elbow. I watch the doors in front of us and feel a warm hand on mine. I look to the boy next to me, he smiles, it's the first genuine smile I've seen from him in a long time. I can't help but smile back.

"And now, presenting my daughter, Princess Zelda Minerva Hyrule, escorted by her appointed knight, Sir Link." The applause almost deafens me. I smile and allow Link to lead me out. The champions and I all line up in front of the thrones. "Hyrule thanks you all, for you have saved us from a terrible fate. We hope that we are able to repay some part of what we owe you." Every glass in the room raises to match father's. "Now, Sir Link, please step forwards."

My knight releases my arm and steps towards father.

"Sir Link, you have not only saved Hyrule, but my dear daughter. As a father, I can be in no greater debt to you. So, as a king I would like to repay you in some part. I offer you the title of marquess, and all the privilege that comes with it. Do you accept?"

"I do, your majesty."

"Kneel." My father motions for me, and I walk over to relieve him of his duty as my appointed knight.

"Sir Link, Hero of Hyrule, you have overcome trials unimaginable and dangers incomparable. You are truly worthy to be known as the goddess Hylia's chosen hero. You have matched the legacy of the heroes of the sky, time, and twilight. You have become one with your blade and defeated the Calamity. For the past year you have been my protector, my confidant, and my friend. I cannot thank you enough for everything you have done for me. And today, I release you from your obligations as my appointed knight. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors." Link looks up at me once I finish and smiles slightly. I look over to his family. His mother is practically in tears and I have never seen his father so proud.

My father then promotes him as I return to the other champions; Link rises a man of nobility. "Lord Link Allard Cavaleiro, honored marquess of Hyrule." Many people cheer and clap. His family walks over to join him, as my father motions for them. "As your son and brother has been raised to the title of marquess, all privileges and titles he shall enjoy are extended to you. You have sacrificed much for the good of Hyrule. Lord Allard, you were one of my best knights. Lady Sara, you were one of my wife's most trusted confidants. Lady Alisse, you have had to grow up without your brother being there to help you. And you all almost lost your dear family member."

Father goes on about how as parents they are so much alike in the battle against the Calamity, before the ceremony finally finishes and Link returns to my side. "My dear Zelda, would you and Lord Link please open this ball?"

"It would be our honor, father." Link leads me to the middle of the dance floor. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." The music starts and we dance.

-oOo-

*THIRD PERSON POV*

"I didn't know that he could dance." Mipha smiles. How could he have kept this from her? She could have tutored him! It would have been such fun and maybe-

"He couldn't. She's been teaching him." Urbosa informs her.

"What?" The bubble of daydreaming pops.

"Yes, for the past two weeks, every night she has taught him a dance, preparing him for tonight."

"Oh." Mipha saddens. Of course, of course he learned from her. Who else would have taught him? He was not a marquess yet, taking formal lessons would not have been an option.

"She taught him well." Revali admits. "Though he could use more grace in his steps. He steps down much too hard."

"This is what Hylians count as dancing?" Daruk asks.

"Some of us have more dexterity and the ability to do something other than jump side to side." Urbosa teases.

"It is a time-honored dance." Daruk insists. They all turn back to watch the Hylian pair stare at each other and dance.

-oOo-

*ZELDA'S POV*

We're dancing. Not unlike the other times we've danced, I can't keep my eyes off his. We turn and step perfectly, but our eye contact never breaks. I feel as though we are having a conversation which neither of us are aware of. But something feels different this time, I don't think that it's the audience.

Each second, I feel my breath being taken away from me. His stare is so intense and steps so confident that I am being swept away by them.

I twist and turn around his arms as we sweep across the entirety of the ballroom floor. My steps are as light as a feather. He gracefully lifts me in the air. I think that I hear someone gasp, but I don't really care. When we start to travel once more his hands hold tight. He pulls me closer than he normally does, and I swear I can feel his heartbeat. Had we been alone I might have thrown all caution to the wind and kissed him.

But sadly, we are not alone.

The dance ends and Link bows deeply, kissing my gloved knuckles. I hear everyone applaud, but don't really care. I curtsey deeply, not like I should. I curtsey to my equal, deep and low, not to my inferior, nothing more than a slight nod. I hear a few gasps. I don't care. The next song begins as Link leads me towards the other champions.

"Well done!" Urbosa claps her hands together. "I have not seen two people so in tune with each other in years." My cheeks begin to heat up; Link and I instinctively drop our joined hands. The Gerudo laughs heartily. "I think that I am going to see if my voe has any interest in dancing." She leaves us to find her husband.

"Congratulations on the rank, little guy." Daruk smiles.

"Yes, you certainly have earned it." Mipha smiles.

"Thank you." Link smiles.

"Mipha!" A small voice calls.

"Yes, Sidon?" She asks her small brother.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Link!" Sidon runs over and hugs my-the marquess.

"Hey bud. How are you doing?" Since Link grew up with Mipha, he has been able to watch her younger brother age. He's a nice child, very positive and upbeat. I pray that no one takes that away from him.

"I'm doing okay. I knew you could do it! I knew you could defeat Ganon! I believed in you!"

"And I can't thank you enough for doing so." Link hugs the young Zora again.

"I believed in you, too, Princess Zelda." Sidon hugs me next.

"Thank you, Prince Sidon."

"You're welcome." He's a sweet kid, who promptly runs off to go do whatever young children do.

Then a small, kind woman walks over to us, her husband and daughter in tow. "Link!"

"Mother." He smiles and hugs her.

I smile at the family. His parents keep reassuring him of how proud they are of him, and how much they love him. His younger sister, who is just eight years old, holds tightly to him. "Oh, your highness." They eventually notice me and bow.

"Rise, please." I smile. "I am so grateful that you are able to be here with us to celebrate."

"We would not miss this for the world." Lord Allard assures me.

"I am sure that you are quite proud of your son, as well you should be. It is thanks to him that any of us are left alive."

"And you." Link adds.

"Considering the number of times you have saved my life, I thought that you may count more."

"Do not discredit yourself, your highness. We have been told of the majesty of your magic." His mother smiles warmly at me.

"Thank you." I nod slightly and turn to the young girl clinging to my former knight. "And how are you, Lady Alisse?"

"I am well, your highness. How are you?" She sounds like she has been practicing, but her voice is still very small.

"I am very well. I hope that you will have fun tonight." She peaks around Link to look me in the eye.

"I will." She smiles slightly.

"Sidon is here." Link informs his sister.

"Where?"

"I saw him run off over there." I point in the direction where I last saw the Zora prince.

"Can I go?" She turns to her parents.

"Yes, we will follow." The older woman turns and hugs her son again, curtseys to me, and follows her young daughter. Her husband follows shortly behind her.

-oOo-

Later, after I have danced with my father, Revali, and Daruk, while Link danced with his mother, sister, Mipha, and Urbosa. The latter for each of us being especially funny to see. Link and I take a walk out on the terrace, alone for what could be the last time.

"Congratulations." I smile, and he smiles back.

"Thank you."

"Have you decided what you want to do now?" I ask, fiddling with an end of my hair.

"Your father asked me to join the council."

"Did you accept?"

"Yes, I did."

"What is he placing you in charge of?"

"The Royal Guard."

"So, you're still in charge of my protection?" I laugh. I don't know what that speaks most to: my father's doubt that Link knows how to do anything else or that Link actually doesn't know how to do anything else.

"I guess so." He starts to laugh, too.

"Well, I am happy for you. It is a huge honor." I remind him.

"Yes, it is."

"You're still going to be around the castle."

"Yes, I will."

"So, I will still be seeing you."

"Hopefully."

"Hopefully?" I smile slightly outwardly, but beam inwardly.

"Yes." He starts to blush and look away.

"I hope so, too." I lean against the railing.

"Thank you." He looks back at me.

"For what?"

"For teaching me how to dance."

 **AN:**

 **I wanted to have Link ask to court her instead of the whole joining the council thing, but I felt as though it would be too sudden. Also, these children are younger than I am. But, they will get together in the sequel. Which I don't have a name for yet, but I promise to post a notice on this story when the sequel is up.**


	10. Sequel Notice

**AN:**

 **The Sequel is up! It's called** ** _What a Fairy Tale!_** **. I should be updating it pretty regularly.**


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